Medicare Supplement

Before you renew your Medigap policy in Fontana for 2027

FONTANA, Calif. — As 2026 winds down, Medigap shoppers in Fontana are heading into the part of the year when the ground shifts a little under these policies. The plan letters you can buy, the Part B deductible that sits inside Plans G and N, and the rates California insurers file with the state all get another look before the new year begins.

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Here is what is actually changing for 2027 — and what is staying the same — so you can decide whether to keep the policy you have, shop, or simply wait.

What is (and isn't) changing about plan letters

Medigap uses standardized plan letters, and that framework is not moving for 2027. If you are newly eligible for Medicare today, the letters open to you are A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M, and N. Plans C and F are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 — that rule has been in place since the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and is not being revisited.

That means a Plan G at one California insurer covers the same standardized benefits as a Plan G at another. What differs between insurers is price, customer service, and whether they underwrite you if you apply outside your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment window.

The January reset of the Part B deductible

Plans G and N are designed around the Part B deductible: you pay that deductible each year, and then the Medigap plan picks up its share of what Medicare doesn't. Because the Part B deductible resets every January 1, your out-of-pocket clock starts over — even if your plan letter and carrier haven't changed at all.

CMS releases the new Part B deductible figure for the coming year on medicare.gov, typically in the fall. For 2027, watch for that announcement rather than assuming this year's number carries over.

Rate-adjustment season in California

Medigap premiums in California are not set by Medicare. Insurers file proposed rates with the California Department of Insurance, and those filings are where any 2027 change to your premium will show up. If you receive a notice from your carrier about a rate adjustment, you can look up the filing through the department and compare it against what other carriers are charging for the same plan letter.

A few practical points for Fontana readers:

• California uses an "issue-age" or "attained-age" pricing approach depending on the carrier, so two people with the same plan letter can pay very different amounts.
• California also has a "birthday rule," which gives Medigap policyholders a yearly window around their birthday to switch to an equal or lesser plan with the same or a different insurer, without medical underwriting.
• Switching outside a protected window usually means answering health questions.

Insurers selling Medigap in California

Fontana is in San Bernardino County, but Medigap carrier licensing is handled at the state level, so the list of companies you can buy from is the California list. The table below lists every insurer and the plan letters they offer in the state.

Names you will see in that table include AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, AFLAC, American Retirement Life Insurance Company (CIGNA), Anthem BlueCross - California, Bankers Life (Underwritten by Washington National Insurance Company), Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company, Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood, Tennessee (Aetna), Everence Association Inc., Humana (Humana Insurance Company), Insurance Company of North America, Lumos Insurance, Mutual of Omaha (United World Life Insurance Company), State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, United American Insurance Company, and USAA Life Insurance Company. Any change in that state roster — a company entering California or pulling back — would show up in filings with the California Department of Insurance.

How to decide what to do for 2027

You have three basic choices going into the new year:

1. Keep your current Medigap policy. If your rate notice looks reasonable and your doctors are unaffected (Medigap works with Original Medicare, so networks are not a factor), doing nothing is a valid choice. 2. Shop your same plan letter with a different carrier. Because plan letters are standardized, a Plan G is a Plan G — you are really comparing price and service. The California birthday rule may help you switch without underwriting. 3. Reconsider the plan letter itself. Some people move between G, G-HD, and N as their health and budget change. This usually involves underwriting outside your initial Open Enrollment period.

Your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), called HICAP in California, offers free one-on-one counseling and can walk through your specific situation.